35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom)
|allegiance= |branch= Territorial Army |type=Anti-Aircraft Brigade |role=Air Defence |size= |command_structure=5th AA Division 2 AA Group |current_commander= |garrison=Fareham |battles=The Blitz }} 35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of Anti-Aircraft Command in the British Territorial Army (TA) formed shortly before the outbreak of World War II. It defended the important naval base of Portsmouth during The Blitz. Origins 35th Anti-Aircraft (AA) Brigade was formed on 1 April 1938 at Fareham, and was assigned to 5th AA Division from its formation on 1 September that year.5 AA Division 1939 at British Military History Order of Battle On the outbreak of World War II, 35 AA Brigade comprised the following units of the Royal Artillery (RA) and Royal Engineers (RE):AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files * 56th (Cornwall) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RALitchfield, pp. 34–5.56 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45 ** HQ at Falmouth ** 165th (Cornwall) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Redruth ** 201st (Cornwall) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Padstow ** 202nd (Cornwall) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Par ** 203rd (Cornwall) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Penzance * 57th (Wessex) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RALitchfield, pp. 89–91.57 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45 ** HQ at Portsmouth ** 213th (Portsmouth) Anti-Aircraft Battery ** 214th (Southsea) Anti-Aircraft Battery ** 215th (Gosport & Fareham) Anti-Aircraft Battery ** 216th (Isle of Wight & Cosham)) Anti-Aircraft Battery * 72nd (Hampshire) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA – Heavy AA unit formed in 1938 by conversion of 95th (Hampshire) Field Brigade, RA''Litchfield, p. 95.72 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45 ** HQ at Southampton ** 217th (Hampshire Carabiniers) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Winchester ** 218th (Hampshire Royal Horse Artillery) Anti-Aircraft Battery at Southampton ** 310th Anti-Aircraft Battery – ''formed January 1939 at Parkstone, Dorset * 48th (Hampshire) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, RE – searchlight regiment organised in 1937 from Hampshire Fortress Engineers, RE Litchfield, p. 97.48 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45 ** HQ at Portsmouth ** 391st Anti-Aircraft Company at Portsmouth ** 392nd Anti-Aircraft Company at East Cowes, Isle of Wight ** 393rd Anti-Aircraft Company at Gosport ** 394th Anti-Aircraft Company at Southampton * 35th Anti-Aircraft Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps World War II During 1940 the AA regiments of the RA were designated 'Heavy AA', and the RE units transferred to the RA as 'Searchlight Regiments'.Litchfield. During the Blitz, 35 AA Bde had the following composition:5 AA Division 1940 at British Military History5 AA Division at RA 39–4580 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45 * 72 HAA Rgt RA – ''as above * 48 S/L Rgt RA – as above * 80th (Berkshire) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - formed on 1938 by expansion of 264th (Berkshire) Field Battery of 66th (South Midland) Field Brigade, RA''Litchfield, p. 21. ** HQ at Reading, Berkshire ** 249 (Berkshire Royal Horse Artillery) at Reading ** 250 (Reading) at Reading ** 251 (Buckinghamshire) at Slough ** 252 (City of Oxford) at Oxford * 118th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery – ''new regiment formed in December 1940118 HAA Rgt at RA 39–45 Together with the searchlights of 27th (Home Counties) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, 35 AA Bde was responsible for the air defence of the city and naval base of Portsmouth. It remained part of 5 AA Division until AA Command was reorganised and the divisions were scrapped in September 1942, after which it became part of 2 AA Group.AA Command 1940 at at British Military History Postwar When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, 35 AA Bde was reformed at Fareham as 61 AA Brigade (TA). Still forming part of 2 AA Group, it comprised the following units:Litchfield, Appendix 5.[http://www.orbat.com/site/history/library-new/1946-1990/britishempire/ta47.html Watson, TA.]AA Bdes at British Army 1945 on. * 393 (Mixed) (Hampshire) HAA Regiment at Southampton – new unit, shortly afterwards renumbered as 675 (M) (Hampshire) HAA Regiment. 'Mixed' indicated that members of the Women's Royal Army Corps were integrated into the unit372–413 Rgts at British Army 1945 on. * 524 (Bournemouth) Light AA Regiment at Bournemouth520–563 Rgts at British Army 1945 on. * 535 (Hampshire) LAA Regiment at Eastleigh – reconstituted from 35 LAA Regiment lost at the Fall of Singapore in 1942''Litchfield, p. 100. However, the brigade was disbanded on 1 June 1948. Notes References * Norman E.H. Litchfield, ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0. Online sources * British Army units from 1945 on * British Military History * Orders of Battle at Patriot Files * The Royal Artillery 1939–45 * [http://www.orbat.com/site/history/library-new/1946-1990/britishempire/ta47.html Graham Watson, The Territorial Army 1947] Category:Military units and formations established in 1938 Category:Air defence brigades of the British Army Category:Military units and formations in Hampshire